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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27768994">Red String of Fate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vettany2/pseuds/vettany2'>vettany2</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Twosetviolin: Taken out of the drawer [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twosetviolin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternative Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Red String of Fate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:02:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,668</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27768994</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vettany2/pseuds/vettany2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddy breaks up with his girlfriend. He feels unhappy and desperate, that he can't find his true soulmate. One day the Universe decides to grant him this wish, only in a way he didn't expect it.</p><p>A part of a Oneshot collection called Taken out of the drawer I published on Wattpad.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddy Chen/Brett Yang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Twosetviolin: Taken out of the drawer [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031106</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Red String of Fate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Another breakup. That numbing feeling is crawling under Eddy's skin. What on earth is he doing wrong? She seemed so nice and he liked her very much. So what has gone wrong? And when he loved her, why didn't that damn red string appear?</p><p>"Tell me Brett, what am I doing wrong?" Eddy asked Brett. They were sitting in front of the TV with half-empty glasses of beer. Eddy needed alcohol. Brett smiled and sipped from his glass.</p><p>"I don't think you are doing anything wrong. You only haven't met the right person yet."</p><p>"But I thought Mina was the one. I loved her. Then why didn't that damn red string appear?" Eddy was desperate. From his eye escaped one tear. He didn't notice until Brett raised his hand and brushed it off his cheek with his left thumb.</p><p>"It wasn't your fault. She only didn't love you enough. Don't be so stressed about it. Maybe you are pushing it too much. You need to let it happen naturally, my dear Eddy." Brett smiled again. There was something sad in his smile.</p><p>"Are you sad because your soulmate hasn't appeared yet as well?" Eddy asked. It was no secret to him. Brett had told him that. And Eddy would have guessed it even if Brett hadn't told him. From time to time Brett had that sad smile pasted on his face while trying to hide it. Also he didn't date like Eddy did.</p><p>Brett turned away his head. He started unconsciously swaying the beer in his glass while looking in it. "There aren't just soulmates in this world. There are lots of other things you can love. Or be loved by. You only have to open your mind and look. Not just search for that one and only perfect soulmate fated by some red string." His voice was filled with deep emotions that were too hard to decode in Eddy's current drunk condition. He only knew Brett was trying to tell him something important in between the lines.</p><p>Eddy hummed. He liked when Brett had this melancholic mood. He didn't know why though. Maybe in times like that Brett finally seemed like the older one. Eddy finished his beer and crawled closer to Brett. He had to admit that all of his previous girlfriends lacked something. That something was a feeling of safety. He felt it only with Brett. It had to be connected with their long friendship. Brett knew him better than anyone else and was a constant in his life.</p><p>Eddy snuggled to Brett's hoodie and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling sleepy. Brett's calm heartbeat and breath lulled him to sleep. He didn't even notice Brett's fingers lightly tracing his jaw and caressing his hair.</p><p>A few days after that Eddy tried not to care about the red string. If he can't find his soulmate himself, he will let them to find him. This was his new motto. From now on he won't pick up a girl. He won't ask for a number. If it's his destiny to be with someone, they will find him. </p><p>Seems like his decision was working. He finally stopped being depressed from breakups and began enjoying his job as a first violin solo (because he did not have the heart to steal that concertmaster position from his best friend Brett) at Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra. He overall became happier and forgot that something like a red string of fate even existed.</p><p>
  <em>Eddy was sitting in front of a music stand where were just blank pieces of </em>
  <em>paper</em>
  <em>. He was supposed to play something he did not have a sheet music for and had never played it before. Also he suddenly wasn't able to </em>
  <em>lift</em>
  <em> his violin. When he looked at the stand to his </em>
  <em>neighbours</em>
  <em>, he froze. There was the </em>
  <em>imagined</em>
  <em> sheet music but he was no </em>
  <em>longer</em>
  <em> able to even read music.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The </em>
  <em>conductor</em>
  <em> raised his </em>
  <em>baton</em>
  <em>. Eddy </em>
  <em>panicked</em>
  <em>. What the </em>
  <em>hell</em>
  <em> is happening!? Why can't he read any music? He doesn't even know what he is supposed to play, what the key </em>
  <em>signature</em>
  <em> is or even the first note. Suddenly everything changed to a </em>
  <em>smooth</em>
  
  <em>mist</em>
  <em>. Someone came to him from behind. They </em>
  <em>lifted</em>
  <em> Eddy's violin up to his shoulder and grabbed Eddy's hand </em>
  <em>gripping</em>
  <em> the bow. Like a </em>
  <em>magic</em>
  
  <em>trick</em>
  <em>, the blank </em>
  <em>papers</em>
  <em> filled with notes and Eddy recognized </em>
  <em>Tchaikovsky</em>
  <em> violin </em>
  <em>concerto</em>
  <em>. The person from behind him helped to put Eddy's fingers on a first correct position and they began playing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Eddy couldn't help himself but to feel suddenly complete. The </em>
  <em>person's</em>
  <em> chest pressed against his back was </em>
  <em>warm</em>
  <em> and </em>
  <em>calming</em>
  <em>. There was also a feeling of safety and Eddy knew only one thing that </em>
  <em>could</em>
  <em> compare it to - home. Eddy knew he found his home. He turned to see the other person but saw only a </em>
  <em>familiar</em>
  <em> shadow of someone. That shadow caressed his left hand fingers and disappeared to </em>
  <em>mist</em>
  <em>.</em>
</p><p>Eddy jerked out from sleep, furiously gasping for a breath. He couldn't believe his dream. What was that supposed to mean? Eddy was confused. He had never had such a weird dream. It was like his mind was trying to tell him something.</p><p>Eddy laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. In his mind he saw that shadow again and felt those feelings the way he did before. The shadow again caressed his fingers and Eddy felt a slight tingling on his left ring finger. Eddy caressed his own hand trying to imitate that wonderful feeling and froze. Something was different.</p><p>Eddy opened eyes and looked at his left hand. From his ring finger was hanging a sparkly, almost invisible red thread. Eddy jumped. That's his red string of fate! It finally appeared! That means he is going to meet his destined soulmate in the near future.</p><p>Eddy didn't know what to do or think. He quickly got out of bed and started to put random clothes on. Then he stopped. What if he meets his significant other today? No, no, no, he has to put on something nicer. So Eddy got completely naked and opened a wardrobe to see what possibilities he has.</p><p>Finally he chose a merch two bananas t-shirt, black jeans and his favourite pink sweatshirt and denim jacket combo. After that he wrote Brett to meet him at their usual coffee shop. He wanted to tell him as soon as possible.</p><p>But to Eddy's surprise, Brett answered he's not feeling well so he's not going. Eddy's enthusiastic mood faded. Brett is sick? He's not usually sick and when he is, he tries to mask it so much that Eddy has to drag him to lie down and make him rest properly. Something very bad must have happened. Eddy's chest suddenly felt tightened. He quickly put on his picked out clothes and grabbed his keys and a wallet.</p><p>After half an hour he stood in front of Brett's flat with a bag full of medicine and some porridge. He rang a doorbell and waited for Brett to open. Of course he had Brett's spare keys just in case but he wanted to alert him first. When nobody opened him, Eddy put out his keys and opened. He nervously ran through the main hall to Brett's bedroom but before he got there, he noticed him sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.</p><p>He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but before anything came out, he noticed something. That something was a sparkly red string coming out of Brett's ring finger. His own string suddenly twitched. Eddy looked down and gasped. His string was connected to the Brett's one. How come!?</p><p>Brett gazed at him, his look was empty. This wasn't his usual deadpan face. Eddy dropped the bag to the floor. He had never seen Brett like that. It freaked him out.</p><p>"What is this?"</p><p>Brett opened his mouth and spoke. "Yes, you see it right." This only sentence shattered Eddy to pieces. He couldn't believe the whole situation. When he thought he is finally going to meet his destined soulmate, it turns out that soulmate is his best friend? So the person he longed for the whole time was right under his nose?</p><p>Eddy was staring at Brett, unable to say anything. He opened his mouth, tried to say literally anything, then closed it. This repeted a few times until Brett's patience couldn't endure it and he stood up, grabbed Eddy and sat him down on a chair.</p><p>"This was why I didn't want to meet you. Everything is too new now."</p><p>Eddy again opened his mouth. "B-bro? You, you knew about it?" He was surprised. How could he know? He isn't supposed to know who is connected to him.</p><p>"This is something I've never told you. I have the ability to see the red strings of fate even before they appear. I knew it from the very beginning."</p><p>Eddy gasped. This isn't possible! He has to be dreaming. This can't be.</p><p>"So why didn't you say anything? Why did you let me suffer from so many breakups?"</p><p>Brett sighed. "Eddy, this is price for my ability. I am prohibited from getting involed in someone else's affaires even if they are my soulmate. And now think for real, would you really believe me if I told you?" Brett knew very well that the answer was no. Why would Eddy even believe him? And what was more, how could Eddy believe that he was having romantic feelings towards him? That was impossible.</p><p>Eddy had to silently agree with that. It was true that if Brett once told him he could see the red strings of other people, Eddy would have just thought Brett was out of his mind and would have taken it lightly. So what was making him believe him now? Maybe the feeling of familiarity during his dream? Eddy didn't know.</p><p>Maybe if Eddy gave it a good thought, he could possibly realize he was not actually against dating Brett, but right now he was shocked and shaken. His mind was currently occupied with feelings of confusion and uncertainty.</p><p>"I know what you probably want to know. Just how could I cope with it when I knew it the whole time, right? Like, how could I even be a best friend to someone, who is destined to be my fated soulmate?" Brett looked at him. Eddy slightly nodded, letting Brett to explain by himself.</p><p>"First thing's first, I am used to it. Seeing those strings. It happened a few times. I knew that my two friends were going to end up together eventhough they hated each other at first. But never have I thought that I would end up being best friends with you. I told myself not to get involved and just let it flow on its own. But hanging out with you was so good and I found a really good friend in you. I felt happy like that for the first time in my life. I didn't want to stop so I promised to myself that I will never try anything on you just because I knew about our fate."</p><p>Brett raised his look and analyzed Eddy's expression. Eddy was just sitting there, trying to process Brett's words. Brett noticed Eddy was subconsciously twitching his fingers.</p><p>"At first it was kinda easy. Just keep out of all romantic stuff and that's enough. But after a few years you started to be so crazy about looking for your significant other and went from relationship to relationship. And taking care of you was getting harder and harder. There were lots of moments when I thought everything would be easier if I told you about everything and you would quit on searching. And I would save you from all those terrible breakups. Except that I would destroy our friendship and freak you out. And I couldn't do that."</p><p>Eddy looked at him. In his eyes there wasn't any clear emotion, just a messed up mix of them. Brett understood it. He had been dreading the day when the red string appears and everything changes. When their "relationship" changes.</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>Brett sighed. "I couldn't lose you. I was used to you and you became one of the most important people in my life. Losing you would break me. After meeting you, my life got a 180° spin. I gradually grew more attached to you. Without you I would feel like I'm not complete." This was too risky. He knew Eddy would eventually find out about his feelings anyway, sooner or later. However, Brett wasn't sure if Eddy could withstand the full blow shock.</p><p>"But why?" Eddy whispered.</p><p>Brett closed his eyes. "Eddy, there's no way I would know about our fate and stayed uninfluenced by it. That's impossible." Eddy gasped.</p><p>"Are you trying to say-" he gasped again. The direct full blow was released. Brett now could only hope Eddy would withstand it. Eddy hid his mouth in his hands, shocked. Brett only nodded.</p><p>"Yes, I'm trying to say that I have feelings for you."</p><p>Eddy's eyes went wide. This was too much of a new information for one poor violinist. He quietly stared at Brett for a few moments, then his head finally gave up and Eddy's world faded.</p><p>Brett jumped up, startled. He expected almost every reaction, but not Eddy fainting. He caught him quickly and brought him to the couch. At first he tried to wake him up with some weak slaps, unsuccesfuly however. So he decided to let him wake up on his own after his body was ready. Then he sat into armchair and let his mind wander.</p><p>This morning was simply a disaster. First, he woke up from that strange dream only to find out that their red string appeared and his happy life with Eddy ended. Then Eddy writing him enthusiastically about his own red string. Brett needed some time to come up with a solution on how to deal with this situation so he made up a lie about him not feeling fine. Only he forgot about Eddy's worrying and caring side. So he shouldn't have been that surprised when he heard his doorbell ringing.</p><p>After Eddy's arrival, Brett was sure that the catastrophe is bound to begin. There wasn't any other possibility. Now, when Brett confessed everything, it only depended on Eddy. Their relationship was going to change no matter what, only Eddy could decide how and what would change.</p><p>---</p><p>Eddy was in a stuningly awkward situation. He finally got his red string of fate, but whether he was happy or not, was something he didn't know. He was glad he could meet his fated person. Unfortunately, the fated person was his best friend Brett. So Eddy was now trapped between the two blocks and the only feeling he had from that, was pure confusion.</p><p>Every interaction with Brett now was bringing back the unsolved tension between them and making Eddy really awkward in Brett's presence. He also couldn't shake off the thought that he possibly had to have some feelings for Brett himself, when the red string decided to appear. It only appeared when there was some mutual feeling. This creeped to Eddy's mind once and it never left him.</p><p>"Eddy?"</p><p>Eddy jumped by this sudden voice in his room. He completely forgot his sister came to visit him for a few days and that now she was present in his flat. Belle looked at him, worries in her face.</p><p>„Something must have happen, right?" She only asked. Eddy lowered his head. Belle was always good at reading emotions. So usually it was quite useless to hide something from her.</p><p>"It's rather funny. The thing is I finally met the person that shares the red string with me." He started. Belle smiled.</p><p>"But that's good, isn't it?" she said. Eddy slightly lowered his head. Her smile faded.</p><p>"So it isn't."</p><p>Eddy blinked nervously but remained silent.</p><p>"Is there a problem with the person? You don't like them?" Belle was sharp as always. Eddy sighed and closed his eyes.</p><p>"It's... It's Brett." He whispered. He didn't even need to open his eyes to see Belle's surprised face.</p><p>"Okay... that's unexpected. And even more when you consider for how long you two have known each other." She mumbled. "Does he know about it?" She asked.</p><p>Eddy nodded. "He told me he knew it for a really long time. Right from the beginning, to be precise. I'm just confused as hell. You know I tried searching for my fated person for so long only to find out that it's my best friend. Like, how can it be Brett? And why did that damn string appear now and not in the beginning? I don't understand it."</p><p>Belle shook her head. "Who knows? There isn't a rule that it has to appear right when you meet the person, right? Maybe it's also fated when it appears. And maybe it suggests that you are prepared enough. Some things need their time. I think you just have to accept it and let it flow at its own pace."</p><p>"But still, it's Brett. How can I love my best friend?"</p><p>Belle smiled. "Again Eddy, there isn't a rule you have to love your fated person as a lover. You surely can love them as a friend, which I think you already do. And how can you know you aren't able to love Brett more than a friend? Sometimes you two don't really look like best friends but more like soulmates. Which is now official." Eddy threw at her a look filled with sarcasm. Belle was teasing him about his relationship with Brett at every occassion.</p><p>But there was something about that. It actually happened that a few times someone assumed him and Brett were boyfriends. Maybe it wasn't that different, being besties and being in a relationship. Eddy surprisingly noticed that after talking with Belle, imagining him being in a relationship with Brett was not that unreal or weird. Maybe he could really love him. Also he was tired of this situation between them and missed that time he could tell Brett everything without being aware of his feelings towards him.</p><p>He finally decided that maybe it was worth trying. He waited for his fated soulmate for so long. The two of them would have a talk, set some rules and expectations and everyone would be happy.With that he took his phone out of his pocket and opened their chat. He wrote there one simple sentence and invited Brett to a bubble tea as they always did.</p><p>---<br/>
The next afternoon Eddy sat down in a small bubble tea shop. Fortunately, this one had a few chairs to sit there, which made it their favourite spot after a coffee shop nearby. But Eddy was afraid meeting in a coffee shop will make it more obvious.</p><p>After a while Brett went through the door and after getting his bubble tea, he sat in front of Eddy. Eddy was out of this world at that moment so he jumped a little bit from surprise.</p><p>"What's the matter, Eddy?" asked Brett. This was what Eddy liked about Brett - he always got to the point without any unnecessary talking. Eddy shiwered. Now there was no going back, he had to finally say it.</p><p>"Brett, I was thinking about our relationship, for a while. Not just about that red string, that connects us together, but also about the relationship before it appeared." Eddy had to stop for a moment to take a breathe and summarize his thoughts. Brett was just quietly staring at him, having big question marks in his eyes.</p><p>"At first I was naturally shocked, because who wouldn't be, right? But after I gave it a good thought, I realized it wasn't probably that unexpected. We really are kind of soulmates. The main difference, I think, was just that I never thought about us in that way. It's not that I hated the thought, it just never came to me. Now, when it came and I thought about it, I don't think it's weird and I can imagine us having that kind of relationship." Eddy nervously looked at Brett.</p><p>Brett was smiling. On his face, there was pasted the most beautiful smile Eddy had ever seen. That sight made Eddy kinda smile too.</p><p>"Also, that terrible awkwardness between us was already getting on my nerves." Eddy mumbled under his nose, which made Brett laugh lightly.</p><p>"So by your long monologue you wanted to tell me you've got to accept our fate and my feelings?"  Brett's smile disappeared and he looked deeply into Eddy's eyes. Eddy only nodded.</p><p>As if someone waved a magic wand, Brett's face lit up and he smiled again, the smile being even more radiant that time. He leaned closer to Eddy in order to kiss him. Eddy's cheeks reddened and he smacked him.</p><p>"Ouch! Eddy, that hurts!" Brett moved away while rubbing his head. Eddy looked at him, embarrassment was written in his face.</p><p>"Not here, you dummy! Were are in public!" Eddy couldn't help himself not to look around them. Brett giggled. "I thought you are braver, when your dating experience is bigger than mine. So shy, are we?" He teased him. Eddy just glared at him. Brett just raised hands in a defending gesture.</p><p>"I get it, I get it. I'll stop. But don't get me wrong. After those years I finally have a chance to show you my true feelings, naturally I am enthusiastic about it. You'll have to cope with that. Geez, if you only knew how much of a headache were you giving me until now." Brett sighed. His cheeks got a light pinkish shade as he looked into Eddy's eyes.</p><p>"You can't even imagine how happy you've made me. I am so glad I can finally say it. Eddy, I love you from the bottom of my heart."</p>
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